On hit shows likeThe Walking Dead,This Is Us, and the ongoingVirgin River,Alexandra Breckenridgehas proven that she shines as the girl next door with a heart of gold. Whether she’s delivering babies or watching her son get eaten by zombies, the talented actress never fails to inject scenes with her warm demeanor and honest vulnerability. However, back in 2006, Breckenridge threw her sweet smile out the window in favor of dramatic scoffs and eye rolls, proving that she could knock the role of the bratty mean girl out of the park as Monique Valentine inShe’s the Man.
Amanda Bynes Leads the Way in ‘She’s the Man’
InShe’s the Man,Amanda Bynes' Viola gets a manly makeover so that she can impersonate her twin brother, Sebastian (James Kirk), and play on his boarding school’s soccer team after her own school’s team is cut. Things get messy, however, when Viola falls for her hunky roommate, Duke Orsino (Channing Tatum), who is in love with the beautiful Olivia (Laura Ramsey), who has a crush on Viola, who she thinks is Sebastian. Are you following? Meanwhile, the real Sebastian has snuck off to play with his band in London, leaving his snobby, socialite girlfriend, Monique (played by Breckenridge) back in America to attend Junior League functions, terrorize innocent teenagers, and eventually try to expose Viola’s secret identity once she uncovers the truth.
She’s the Manis looselybased on Shakespeare’s romantic comedyTwelfth Night, and borrows heavily from the play’s use of a mistaken identity-inspired love triangle. InTwelfth Night, a shipwrecked young woman named Viola disguises herself as a man named Cesario and works as a page under Duke Orsino of Illyria, believing that her twin brother, Sebastian, has died at sea. While working for the Duke, Viola watches him pursue the beautiful Countess Olivia, and the Duke insists that “Cesario” help him woo her. Olivia falls for Cesario (who’s really Viola), Viola falls for the Duke, and the miraculously alive Sebastian comes to Illyria and agrees to wed Olivia, who believes him to be Cesario. Everything is revealed at the end of the play, and the twins are reunited while Viola and the Duke get married.
‘Virgin River’s Alexandra Breckenridge Plays Mean Girl Monique in ‘She’s the Man’
You may have noticed that there’s no mention of a Monique inTwelfth Night’s basic description, and that’s because the character doesn’t actually exist in the original play. WhileShe’s the Manmade great use of its source material’s romantic wackiness, the similarities pretty much end there save for an out-of-placeShakespearean monologuegiven by Duke at the final match. The movie replaced shipwrecks and weddings with soccer games and debutante balls, and randomly bestowed the names of the play’s supporting characters on the film’s ensemble — as well as a pizza parlor and a tarantula. Monique Valentine is named for Duke Orsino’s attendant, Valentine, who really doesn’t do a whole lot inTwelfth Nightand certainly isn’t an angry debutante. Despite being a newly added character, however, Monique certainly makes a name for herself.
As Monique Valentine, Breckenridge is nearly unrecognizable as she stomps into every scene with a tongue as sharp as her stiletto heels. While Bynes isShe’s the Man’s obvious standout with her effortless comedic timing andJim Carrey-like knack for facial expressions, Breckenridge uses her fairly sparse screen time to her full advantage. Monique will never be seen without a purse on her arm and a sneer on her face, whether she’s harassing Viola or storming into Cesario’s Pizzeria to try and win back her man — who she doesn’t realize at the time is also Viola.
Alexandra Breckenridge Is a Snobby Scene-Stealer in ‘She’s the Man’
In this pivotal scene, Viola (posing as Sebastian) tries to convince her male peers that she’s a smooth womanizer, and enlists the help of her friends to pose as dejected ex-lovers. The plan goes awry when Monique shows up, immediately ticked off and ready with some biting one-liners. When Duke’s friend, Andrew (Clifton Murray) attempts to hit on her, Monique fires back with hericonic line: “Girls with asses like mine do not talk to boys with faces like yours.” The diss is undeniably cruel but even more undeniably hilarious, and establishes that while Monique is a superficial tyrant, she’s also one that we love to hate. Viola uses this scene as her opportunity to dump Monique on Sebastian’s behalf, and the furious Monique flees the scene screaming.
Like many villains, Monique only gets better the more unhinged she gets, and her mean-girl madness is fully unleashed when she overhears Viola and Olivia talking about the latter’s crush on Sebastian at the Junior League luncheon. When Monique gets wind that news of her breakup is spreading and Olivia has set her sights on “Sebastian,” Monique wastes no time in stalking out of a stall and starting a WWE match in the women’s restroom. Through some wicked shoves and a particularly vicious backhand, Breckenridge shows that she can deliver a punch as strongly as she can a poignant monologue.At the end ofShe’s the Man, after failing to expose Viola (who opts to expose herself in more ways than one), Monique is escorted to the debutante ball with Viola’s loser ex-boyfriend, Justin (Robert Hoffman), and is never seen again.
Although we’re excited to see what Alexandra Breckenridge has up her soulful sleeve forSeason 5 ofVirgin River,She’s the Manwill always remain one of her best roles and a screechy reminder of her expert comedic abilities. While Monique Valentine may lack Melinda Monroe’s brains and bedside manner, she makes up for it with her hilarious comebacks and her readiness to clothesline anyone who gets in her way, and we can only hope that Breckenridge gets to play more belligerent baddies in the future.
